Leslie Marmon Silkos Ceremony Essay -- Literary Analysis, Psychology

The central conflict of Leslie Marmon Silko's Ceremony is Tayo's struggle to gain psychological wholeness in the face of various traumatic experiences, ranging from a troubled childhood to cultural marginalization and combat experiences during World War II. Throughout the novel, the key to Tayo's psychological recovery is his rediscovery of Native American cultural practices. Most of the crucial turning points in the novel occur when Tayo listens to, takes part in, or learns more about Native American cultural traditions. He progresses towards recovery when he visits medicine men, returns to traditional customs and practices, or develops an intimate relationship with someone like Ts'eh who lives according to traditional ways. As he develops an increased understanding of native cultural practices and ritual ceremonies he finds psychological peace, which he quickly loses whenever he seeks other sources of healing-whether he seeks them in the glories of war, the pleasures of alcohol, or the medical practices of the army psychiatric hospital. The novel's opening poem describes the Incredible powers that language, stories, and rituals have in Native American cultures: ceremonies are the only cure for human and cultural ailments, and stories and language have the power to create worlds As the novel progresses, it demonstrates this power by showing how rituals are more effective than anything else in helping Tayo heal. Moreover, Tayo's struggle to return to indigenous cultural traditions parallels Silko's own struggle as a writer who wants to integrate Native American traditions into the structure of her novel. Instead of simply following the literary conventions used by other American and European writers, Silko develops new li... ...ve Americans fit into the broader mosaic of American history. In particular, Silko' s novel rewrites American history so that Native Americans like Tayo are no longer pushed into the margins and ignored. She shows that they have contributed to and continue to contribute to American history by providing the land on which it happens, by fighting for America in international conflicts, and by contributing to America's economic development. Even more importantly, however, she shows that Native American cultural traditions also provide an alternative, and in Silko's opinion, superior view of what America's future could look like if it will chose to be more spiritually sensitive, multi-culturally respectful, and environmentally responsible. In this sense, Ceremony adds an important and potentially healing voice to the on-going debate of what it means to be an American.

High School Dropouts Essay

High school dropouts — a growing problem in our society, or is it? After hearing about dropouts heading back to school to receive a diploma on the local news, I often wonder what they were missing out on. I mean, does a dropout really need to head back only to solve a quadratic equation or to write an five paragraph essay on The American Revolution? I’m willing to bet that more than half of parents who’ve graduated from high school don’t even know how to solve a quadratic equation or how The American Revolution came about. It’s really annoying to witness activates telling students to stay in school when some of the activates themselves could not accomplish high school level work. This is why I personally believe that a diploma is nothing more than a piece of paper. Much of society is too focused on whether a person obtained a high school diploma rather than one’s real intellect. That piece of paper determines whether you’re qualified to get a job, which is real disturbing to me since high school level work does not give you work experience. I myself being a high school graduate had somewhat of a difficult time in my first year of college. I’m nineteen years old and I’m sure that I can speak for some people on that. If high school really prepares a student, then why is college considered a challenge? Why are we learning math, history, English, and etc. in college if we’ve already taken the same classes in high school? For example, college algebra is exactly the same as Algebra I & II in high school. When put in perspective, it’s obvious why people regurgitate the same stuff again in college; it’s because high school lacks in preparing a student for the real world. I mean, when you head to college, you have to take at least two years of classes that you’ve already taken in high school before you actually get into your major. Does that itself make a statement that education in high school lacks of doing a good job? I personally think of it like that. This is why it bothers me when a job determines whether a person has a high school diploma, because in reality, many high school graduates have the same intuition as some high school dropouts. In the end, I believe society is too focused on a high school diploma rather than someone’s intelligence. I understand that it’s natural for us to forget some of the material we’ve learned in high school. However, why is it that jobs are more focused on a diploma that was obtained decades ago rather than someone’s current intellect? Why does a dropout really need to head back to school to make it in this world? High school does not prepare you for a certain job. Work experience prepares you for a job. Many high school graduates who apply for a job must gain a certain level of job experience before working anyway. Many of the jobs that require a high school level education can easily be done by a high school dropout. If society can focus less on a trivial diploma and put for attention on one’s ability, then I think this country would be much smarter.

Corruption and Law Enforcement - 2606 Words

Corruption has always been a danger to law enforcement, just as it has been a danger to all of mankind since the beginning of time. Since the very first police agency was formed in the 1800s, corruption has been widespread. The 19th century was an era in which politics played a very large role in police forces. Various political parties essentially had some police departments in their pockets, and as long as officers served to further those political parties’ agendas, the officers’ continued employment was guaranteed. Since politicians have not always been known for being straight-laced, one can easily see how corruption within police departments became prevalent. Since officers were not serving the people, but rather the political elite, their motives were constantly in question. It was not long before politicians began employing police officers to overlook and even protect their illicit activities. Through this practice, officers began to see the potential monetary an d political benefits of allowing and participating in certain illegal actions. Even after the establishment of countermeasures such as police commissions, civil service exams, and legislative changes, corruption remained rampant. This corruption was perhaps best exemplified by none other than the actions of many officers within the Rampart Division of the Los Angeles Police Department. The Beginning It all began within the Rampart Division’s Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums unit, better known asShow MoreRelatedCorruption Of The Law Enforcement2120 Words   |  9 Pages Corruption in Law Enforcement Nicholas Colbert University of Texas at El Paso Corruption in Law Enforcement Corruption has always been a problem. From the beginning it was embedded into law enforcement. Corruption is not just a problem that affects a few people. In the long run many lives are affected and often ruined. 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